From shops filled with electric diyas to ‘sound-only’ toys, New Delhi is adapting to yet another Diwali with a ban on firecrackers.
Retailers in major markets such as Connaught Place, Lajpat Nagar, and Paschim Vihar have closed their shutters, with some leaving behind phone numbers printed on the wall.
However, in Old Delhi’s bustling Chandni Chowk’s Paiwalan Bazaar, one of the largest wholesale markets for firecrackers in the national capital, shopkeepers are trying to keep the business going.
“I was a worker in one of these shops. Since the ban, I have set up my cart with some limited stock,” says Rashid Khan. He adds that while working in a shop, he could earn Rs 800-900 every day, but with a cart system, sales are unpredictable.
The entire lane where Khan has set up his seasonal business is occupied by small carts, most of which are owned by shopkeepers or workers who have closed their shops due to the ban.
The owner of Majestic Fireworks says, “A few years ago, we could sell crackers worth Rs 15-16 lakh in just three days before Diwali. Now, sales are down to less than half that.” He adds that the number is decreasing every year, with the fear of police crackdowns lingering.
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Like Khan, other seasonal sellers have also emerged in the market.
“We buy crackers in bulk from licensed shops. Since these shops can’t sell them once the ban is imposed, we sell them,” says Iltumish, a cracker cart owner who provides only his first name.
A few shops in the market have covered their signs and claim to sell party poppers and ‘celebration material’, although their goods and services tax number indicates they are a cracker company.
It’s not just Delhi.
Several states have imposed formal restrictions ranging from limiting hours to manufacturing, storage, sale, and use. These regulations are in addition to the Supreme Court’s 2021 ruling allowing only green crackers across the country. The court also banned the use of barium salts and other polluting chemicals in crackers to reduce air and noise pollution. The states are merely implementing the 2018 court ruling that set time slots for bursting crackers between 8 pm and 10 pm on Diwali and between 11.55 pm and 12.30 am for New Year and Christmas. This is reflected in sales.
Last year, the apex court reiterated that the rules apply nationwide.
‘Green crackers’ are considered eco-friendly, causing 30 per cent less air and noise pollution compared to traditional firecrackers. However, sellers and buyers are also finding ways around the regulations.
Bursting crackers: A tradition in Mumbai
In Mumbai, firecracker dealers say demand is lower than it has been in past years.
A shopkeeper in Crawford Market attributes this decline to inflation and children’s exams, among other reasons.
A customer who regularly buys from one of the area’s largest firecracker dealers says he purchased the crackers around 10.30 in the morning. About the anti-cracker sentiment, he insists, “People who celebrate are celebrating. At the end of the day, it’s a festival of money.”
Sivakasi: The firecracker hub in India
Sivakasi produces over 85 per cent of the country’s fireworks. While retail shops report a 10 per cent increase in business compared to last year, wholesale players say that regulations on using barium and joint crackers have reduced their business by at least 30 per cent in recent years.
The government has mandated that fireworks can only be set off for two hours daily, between 6 am and 7 am, and 7 pm and 8 pm.
Most retail shops are decorated with large cut-outs of actors Vijay and Rajinikanth, almost making them unofficial brand ambassadors of Diwali.
“Sales have picked up for now. The two-hour restrictions have had no impact on sales. However, for large players, turnover has decreased by 30 per cent due to joint crackers and barium use restrictions. Our trade will only revive if the government allows small joint crackers,” says Murali Asaithambi of the Sivakasi Fireworks Manufacturers Association.
He adds that this reduction may not affect retail sales, as many outlets rely on illegal manufacturers who still produce joint crackers, use barium, and even copy major brands.
Retailers report that business is better than last year. “Sales are up by 10 per cent. The enthusiasm hasn’t waned. Except for apartment complexes with associations, most people are reluctant to follow the regulations,” notes T M Shankar, owner of Devar Crackers, which operates retail outlets in Semmancherry and Navalur.
Shankar, who has been in business for over 23 years, notes high demand for brands like Standard Fireworks, which has a 5 per cent market share.
Suresh G, who has run Suresh Crackers in Sholinganallur for nearly four decades, agrees that reliable brands are favoured during the festival. “Sales this year have marginally increased by almost 5 per cent and may rise further as Diwali approaches.”
Cyclone Dana deals a blow in Kolkata
In Kolkata, it’s a double whammy for those selling fireworks. Limiting sales to green crackers had already taken a toll on sales, but rains lashing the city due to Cyclone Dana dealt a bigger blow to traders who sell in open spaces.
The Bazi Bazaar in the city got off to a late start, resulting in losses for the stall owners. Bilal Elahi of Kolkata Traders doubts he can recover the rent for setting up the stall at Shahid Minar ground in Esplanade, central Kolkata.
There are about 36 stalls at the Maidan Bazi Bazaar. Elahi says that normally, during this time, sales would be at their peak. “But here I am, idling.”
The story is similar at the adjacent stall. “In the past five years, sales have come down by about 30 per cent due to the regulations. Earlier, we would supply to neighbouring markets, but they have started sourcing directly from Sivakasi,” says the owner.
This year, around 72 Bazi Bazaars are being held across West Bengal, up from 52 last year. “The number of Bazi Bazaars was just four in 2022,” notes Babla Roy, chairman of the Sara Bangla Atasbaji Unnayan Samity.
Roy disagrees that the appeal of crackers is fading. The association has alerted the state government that illegal manufacturers are producing and selling duplicate fireworks of reputed brands, spreading polluting fireworks in the market.
A few kilometres away, along the bustling Ezra Street and Pollock Street, scores of hawkers are sitting with bags full of crackers. They have come from the districts to take advantage of the season but lament that rising prices have left them with little margins.
Demand for ‘green crackers’ in Lucknow
Makeshift firecracker shops have cropped up at more than 50 sites earmarked by the Lucknow district administration.
While Diwali festivities are considered incomplete without lighting and firecrackers, Lucknow traders claim that sales volumes have dipped by almost 20 per cent in the past four to five years due to growing awareness about going ‘green’.
“The sale of firecrackers has plummeted nearly 20 per cent in recent years following growing concerns about ecology and pollution,” local firecracker trader Satish Kumar told Business Standard.